This invention relates to novel methods for diagnosing and screening for age-related macular degeneration and analogous diseases associated with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) containing lipids. More specifically, this invention relates to diagnostic methods for determining if an individual has or is at risk of developing age-related macular degeneration and atherosclerosis.
Macular degeneration is the clinical term used to describe those diseases that are characterized by a breakdown of the macula, the small portion of the retina responsible for central vision. Juvenile macular degeneration, also referred to as early onset macular degeneration occurs early in life, such as for example in the second and third decade, while age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs later in life, typically in the fifth decade and later. AMD constitutes a major health problem for individuals over 55 years of age in the industrialized world. In the USA alone between 6 and 10 million senior adults are legally blind from AMD.
It is desirable to have diagnostic methods for determining if an individual has a predisposition for developing age-related macular degeneration and other diseases which involve oxidative damage to tissues from oxidation of DHA-containing lipids.